HRC Blog

StoryCorps: A Transgender Woman’s Journey from Hiding to ‘Walking in Love’

Alexis Martinez grew up in a rough neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side in the early 1960s. She knew she was transgender from an early age.

In a new StoryCorps feature, Alexis talks to her daughter Lesley about how she hid her true gender identity under a macho veneer until the love and support of her family gave her the courage to live openly as a transgender woman.

Says her daughter Lesley: "You don't have to apologize. You don't have to tiptoe. We're not going to cut you off. And that is something that I've always wanted you to, you know, just know — that you're loved."

You can find HRC’s Transgender Visibility Guide – a resource guide to helping you and your loved ones through the process of coming out or disclosure – along with a host of other transgender-specific resources here.